New Apple Patent Could Open Apps Without Touching the Screen

Apple acquired two new patents on Tuesday — one that patents a "touch and hover" display, similar to the technology found in Samsung products like the Galaxy Note 2, and one that patents a heart rate monitor to read your EKG data.

The hover display would let you interact with your Apple device without actually touching the screen. Just hold your finger or stylus over a desired app, and the app will open as though you had pressed down on the screen, according to Apple Insider.

It could be tough for an iPhone or iPad to discern whether you want to open an app — or if you accidentally waved your finger above the screen. But developers can engineer the interface to read your intentions by sensing how long you're hovering over a certain spot and how far away your finger is from the screen. Read more...